The Dawn of the Maelstrom
by Sunset Nightfall
Summary: Integra pondered about the Major's words. It left her with so many questions. Time gave her the wisdom to answer them. Alucard returned to see how much she had grown, and to listen to what she had to tell.


It was the end of that dawn. The sun awoke from its nightmare, and London had yet to rise from its ruins. Thirty years had passed since then—the time of dark; when the world was crawling from its infancy. War was not waged because the authorities simply wanted to, but it was done because of conflicting beliefs, oppugnant philosophies. It was waged because there needed to be an answer; enlightenment.

Such wisdom needed abundant time and thinking. Where does the human in humanity stand? Because in humanity, there exists a creature that is the monster. There was no absolute answer in life. Only, in some beliefs, humans may continue life with or without a god. It is these sentient and rational beings, these humans, who has the freedom to choose whatever they want in their lives. No one is responsible but themselves who made the choice.

Thirty years. Thirty years, it should be enough. Just enough to think and ponder. A man in the trappings of a monster, and a monster in the trappings of man. Was there a difference?

The young commander was twenty-two years old when she watched and felt her beloved subordinates fade away. She stood against the physical pain brought by the war, but she never showed that she grieved. She was always expected to rationalize, as she was the one in power, and that weakness/es had no place in her position. However, so much time had passed; so much tension relieved. Peace, however illusional it may seem, was temporarily brought down in her ephemeral life. Loneliness, too, was capricious. But this allowed her to ponder about her experiences. It wasn't long before she could find a satiating answer.

That unanticipated night, her Count had returned from his long abstracted labor. Sharing a night of carelessness, freed from worries, they restart anew. Seras was capable of doing most of the job, which meant that her master would be able to catch up with his master, Integra.

Alucard did not seem so different. Only, he was more relaxed. He found that talking to his Countess was rather satisfying than going out hunting. They shared long conversations, tackling past experiences and the morals that added to their wisdom. However, the answers they found were not enough to satisfy the questions regarding the world...

It was sunset when Alucard joined Integra in the mansion's library. She sat on the couch, while the fireplace was burned bright of warm fires. It became a routine for them to talk there while they sat on the opposite ends of the couch.

"Tell me, Count. Do you believe that you're still human?" Integra started.

Alucard looked at her and pondered, watching the fickle fire dance in the safety of its place. Tea was served for Integra. It was Ceylon. But it wasn't the same.

"I am but a monster—"

"But so am I." Integra interrupted.

Alucard stopped. Her words were too ambiguous. It could have meant that...

"What are you suggesting?"

"Nothing, really. I just thought that the Major had a point. We are humans who are monsters; and monsters who are human."

Facing the warmth, her expressions were hidden by her eyepatch. Yet, her lips wore half a smile. Alucard felt that she understood something.

"Do elaborate, Master. Am I correct that you presume the former? And I the latter?"

"No." Integra replied, as she sipped on her hot tea, and smiled as she did so.

Wisdom allowed one to be patient and to be compassionate. Surprisingly, not many would be able to acquire such gifts. In her field of battling monsters, she was the mediator for humans and monsters. She didn't know how to explain to her vampire that those two concepts were one and the same.

"Being a vampire means breaking away from humanity. Would you agree to that?"

"I believe so, Countess. Choosing to be a vampire means succumbing to the dark powers that means that one is weak. That one cannot bear the weight of humanity. That one cannot abandon the pain of life."

Silence filled the room. The fire still danced ever so gracefully, and only the cackling of wood was heard in the quiet room. Integra continued to sip on her hot tea, missing the good old times when Walter used to brew them for her. His was the best.

"Seras chose to be a vampire because she could not leave her human life as it was. So did you. But I question, my dear Count, does that make you a monster? That desire to continue believing morality? I reckon that it's not as bad as you think." She put her cup down on the tea table.

Alucard looked at her and listened to what she had to say. "Being a vampire means that you understand and fully accept that you are weak; especially in the standards of cruel Life. You subject yourself to change, yet you yourself remains the same."

Alucard flinched as if to respond, but Integra continued.

"What I mean is that you accept the changes of the outside world, yet you keep yourself the same, only allowing such small changes to yourself," She paused. "Being a creature of the night, you amplify the concept of humanity. That's what I want to tell you."

Alucard looked at her weary features. Her hair was whiter than ever. Evident wrinkles on her face. Her wisdom added to her beauty. He faced her and leaned his head to his palm, indicating that he admired what she wanted to say, and he listened.

"Monster, human, vampire…there's no line that completely separates them… It is who we are and what we choose to be that matters. Words are used to label those who are different, and those who name the different are cowards who cannot accept themselves. I would like to say that we are even, as I, too, am a monster; and you are human. It is human to be subjected by the laws of nature—that we are born good; that we are born evil. And there's no absolute truth nor absolute answer to numerous questions of the world."

"Have you accepted these inconsistencies, Integra?"

She wore a gentle smile.

"I have. What about you? For a creature such as yourself, for the centuries that you have lived, have you come to understand yourself?"

He looked at her in the eye and answered, "Yes."

"I finally have."

* * *

**A/N: I'm still alive, and so very busy in life and school. Hope you like this very short, (for my standard), fic!****For those who are waiting for an update for Carpe Diem, it is in a revising state. Hopefully, once I have time to write again, I shall revise and update, and finish the story.****Thank you for reading. Tschüß und Auf Wiedersehen!**


End file.
